Fuddruckers coming to Algonquin Commons

By NORTHWEST HERALD

Nov. 1, 2013

ALGONQUIN – Fuddruckers plans move into the space previously occupied by Cheeseburger in Paradise in Algonquin Commons, village officials said.

The Jimmy Buffett-themed Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant and bar closed earlier this week. Houston-based Luby’s Inc., which operates restaurants under the brands Luby’s Cafeteria, Fuddruckers and Cheeseburger in Paradise, plans to put a Fuddruckers in the same place, Algonquin Community Development Director Russell Farnum said.

The restaurant space will be remodeled and open Dec. 2 as Fuddruckers, Farnum said.

Fuddruckers, which uses the trademarked slogan “World’s Greatest Hamburgers,” grills one-third, one-half, two-thirds and one-pound beef patties to order and has a build-your-own area stocked with toppings such as tomatoes, lettuce, onions, dill pickles, pico de gallo, Fudds cheese sauce and other condiments.

The company could not be reached for comment.

Luby’s Fuddruckers restaurants include 63 company-operated locations and 116 franchises in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, according to the company’s website. It has restaurants in Schaumburg, Highland Park, Downers Grove North, Calumet City and Matteson.

Luby’s acquired Cheeseburger in Paradise in December 2012. In an earnings report Oct. 25, the company said Cheeseburger in Paradise generated $35.7 million in restaurant sales, $3.3 million less than expected.

“The company continues to work diligently through the transition process at [Cheeseburger in Paradise] to improve restaurant operations, enhance menu items and branding initiatives as well as systems integrations to continually improve the guest’s experience,” Luby’s said in a news release.

Luby’s President and CEO Chris Pappas said the company will “focus on our core restaurants to support the growth of the company and our development plans to build additional new Luby’s Cafeterias and Fuddruckers restaurants in 2014.”